Father Figure
by Miss Selah
Summary: Any man can make a baby, but it takes a little more to be a father. A story of the last man on Earth and the little girl who would be Queen, told in 100 word snippets. Newest: Edgar Allen Poe. "This is Quoth," Marceline introduced the big, black bird, and Simon took a step back. "He's a raven."
1. Blink

Title: Father Figure

Summary: There were two things Simon knew: every little girl needs a daddy, and every little girl grows up. Unfortunately, he would have to learn the second lesson the long way.

Genre: Hurt / Family / Comfort / Humor

Warning: 100theme!Challenge, variation 3

A/N: Sorry I've been MIA, my computer broke when I moved last month and I just bought a new one. Expect regular updates on my 4 writing challenges. In case you have not read one of my 100theme!Challenges, it goes as follows: There are 100 chapters, each exactly 100 words in length, all to do with 100 themes. They will be updated regularly. To see an example, please read my completed 'Man of Devotion,' a Labyrinth fanfiction. Otherwise, enjoy.

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The sky outside her window was on fire.

Tall titans of buildings were falling to their knees and she had to cover her ears to block out the sound of the world falling down all around her.

Marceline tried not to cry, tried to remember what her dad would have done in her place, but she was only a child in a world full of orphans.

A thick coat was dropped over her shoulders and Marceline looked up in Simon's too old, too soon smiling face.

"It'll be over soon," Simon promised the girl. "Blink," he said, "and it's done. "


	2. Wedding

.02 Wedding

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He stared at a picture in a worn leather wallet. The edges that'd crept out were crumbling and dirty, fingerprints a thick and mocking border to a picture of a dream that would never be realized.

Marceline leaned over Simon's knee, peering. "Who's that?" She asked, innocence of a child.

Simon said nothing, and then finally: "Betty..."

Marceline scrunched her nose at the image of the woman who had made Simon look so sad. "She's got glasses," she sneered. "She's a nerd!"

His smile was back. "I have glasses," he pointed out.

"But that's different, they make you look distinguished."


	3. Fantasy

.03 Fantasy

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She was a strange child, but in many ways, Marceline was just a normal girl.

"You sit here," she pushed Simon down to the torn blanket she'd spread on the ground.

"What's going on?"

"Tea party," she said, pouring a thick, red juice into a chipped teacup for both him and her stuffed bear. "Because we're civilized."

Simon sniffed the warm drink and nearly hurled. How was she drinking that?

"Whats wrong?" Marceline asked.

He didn't want to offend her. "This chip," Simon lied. "If I drink from this cup, I'll cut myself."

Marceline's brows drew together. "That's too bad."


	4. Lock and Key

.04 Lock and Key

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She was doing it again, Simon noticed. Sticking that key into every lock she found.

"Marcy?" He asked. "What do you have there?"

Her wide eyes were innocent, and not for the first time, he wondered why she was to be his only companion. "Daddy says," Marceline began, "that when I find the lock this key opens, it'll bring him back to me."

Simon couldn't bring himself to tell her that in all likelihood, her father was dead. Instead, Simon smiled, and encouraged her quietly. "There are some doors over there," Simon pointed to a crumbling mall, "maybe he's there."


	5. Heart

.05 Heart

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Simon assumed she was normal. But something about Marceline was different... something about her was just a little off. He just couldn't put his finger on...

His finger brushed over her wrist as she pulled out of his grasp, pointing at weeds that'd begun to reclaim a fallen city. "Look!" She laughed. "Flowers!"

As she ran away laughing, Simon remained frozen, staring at his hand. Had he felt her pulse, he questioned. Or was it possible... no.

Marceline, the tiny girl-child, wasn't just another imagining of a fracturing mind. She was real. She was _normal_.

But normal was becoming... relative.


	6. Poison

.06 Poison

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He hadn't seen the sun in months.

Smoke clouded the sky, so they remained near the city, where he was still coordinated, but resources were running low. The city pipes were filled with toxic, poisoned water and there were only so many vending machines. It didn't matter that Marceline seemed to never eat. He'd have to figure something out, or else they'd both starve.

The crown at his side whispered temptingly to him, cold promises of sustenance if only Simon would be King. He brushed his fingers over the metal and clenched his fist at his side.

Never again.

Never.


	7. Fairy

.07 Fairy

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Simon wasn't the only one having troubles sleeping in this new, broken world. Marceline curled up in a tight ball beside him, and he tried very hard not to move, so that the she could get as comfortable as she could and hopefully get some sleep. With the sound of hungry wolves baying in the darkness, he knew that he would not.

"Tell me a fairytale," Marceline whispered, not opening her eyes.

Simon smiled. "I don't know any, sorry Marcy."

"Please?"

Simon sighed, not willing to deny this precious child anything. "There once was a man who found a crown..."


	8. Panties

.08 Panties

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Simon was trying to get Marceline to change into something clean... well, cleaner. "You can pick them out yourself." He offered.

"That would be stealing," Marceline scrunched her nose at him. "Stealing is wrong."

His hand touched the crown; his palm burned.

"It's not STEALING!" Simon screamed at the arrogant child. "EVERYONE WHO OWNED ANYTHING IS DEAD!"

Marceline started.

Simon jerked away from the crown. "I'm sorry, Marceline; I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scream."

"If I change my clothes, daddy wont recognize me," Marceline explained, uncharacteristically timid.

He frowned. "What about underclothes? Could you change those?"

Marceline pouted. "Uh-huh."


	9. Stitches

.09 Stitches

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Marceline cried out suddenly, jolting Simon awake.

"What's wrong?"

Marceline held up the bear Simon'd stolen for her when they first met. "He's ripping..."

Simon looked. So he was. The arm that Marceline dragged the bear around by had been worn, and the stitches were tearing.

"I'll get you a new-"

"No! It's got to be Hambo!" she hugged the bear. "It's got to be..."

She wouldn't be budged. "Okay," Simon acquiesced. "I'll fix him for you tomorrow."

"Promise?" Marceline asked, eyes wet.

Simon sighed. Was it all girls who could wrap him around their fingers, or just her?

"Promise."


	10. Manga

.10 Manga

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The thing that bothered Simon the most about this new world was the lack of education. So the first bookstore that he found that wasn't completely destroyed, he turned Marceline loose.

"Pick anything," he insisted, and at her frown he held up a credit card. "I'll leave this here in case the owner comes back."

He was still applauding his cleverness when he found her later, nose deep in a colorful book with pictures. "What'd you -" he saw two men kissing and blushed.

"Debauchery," Marceline sounded pleased, her mouth upturned as she pointed at the manga. "There's debauchery here!"


	11. Edgar Allen Poe

11. Edgar Allen Poe

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Simon knew animals were drawn to Marceline, but it was still unnerving to witness.

"This is Quoth," Marceline introduced the big, black bird, and Simon took a step back. "He's a raven."

"Quoth the Raven?" Simon laughed awkwardly in the face of the creature. "Yeah, well, I have a penguin, and he's way bigger than your raven."

"Oh yeah?" Marceline scoffed. "What's his name?"

"Uh-Gunter?"

"Awful name; poor penguin."

Simon didn't notice the cold on his tongue. "Well Marceline is an awful name for a little girl; you'll never be a princess with a name like that!"


	12. Mask

12. Mask

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Quoth flew and a mask of indifference fell over Marceline's face. Still, Simon continued.

"I should let them eat you!" The monsters from his visions swarmed but didn't touched her, and when she moved towards him, they parted for her.

"Why do they leave YOU alone? WHY!? AREN'T I SUPPOSED TO BE KING? BOW!"

Marceline smacked the crown out of his hands and Simon came back to himself. "Stop it!"

He blinked. Where had the bird gone?

"Where's Quoth?" he asked, not understanding why she was frowning. "What? What's wrong? Did you get hurt?"

She didn't stop crying for hours.


End file.
